


Birthday Girl

by acs



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms
Genre: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 15:03:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1189563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acs/pseuds/acs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lara Croft isn't much for birthdays. That doesn't stop Buffy one bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And Counting (45)

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhere it's still Valentines Day and Lara Croft's 45nd birthday (2013. In Universe.). This is a revised version of a birthday ficlet with Lara and our favorite blonde vampire slayer. Originally written in 2011. Tweaked because she's gotten 2 years older since I originally wrote this. Based on the original Lara Croft's video game backstory which at one point said she was born in 1968, on Valentines Day. Now-a-days, several movies and ownership changes? Who knows anymore. So I'm sticking with the original.
> 
> **Planned Posting Frequency** Yearly. Approximately on Lara's birthday.
> 
> **Word Count:** ( 1,258 )

"Hey, babe, what's wrong," Buffy asked, watching the tall woman pacing back and forth in front of the large stone fireplace. The crackling of the huge pine and oak logs was a welcome sound, adding to the unexpected coziness of the main hall. If someone had asked her, just over a decade ago, standing on the edge of the Sunnydale crater, what she would be doing on Valentines Day having passed thirty and accelerating, this wouldn't have been it.

"I'm tired," Lara murmured. "Forty-five years old and what do I have to show for it? A huge house full of the trash of a dozen forgotten civilizations. I haven't done anything really remarkable with my life. I haven't found a cure for cancer. Haven't found a way to feed all of the starving children in Africa or elsewhere. All I've done is gone treasure hunting. The press are right. I'm just a glorified tomb robber."

"All that trash? Didn't we have this conversation last year? Sparkly gold, emeralds, and diamonds?" Buffy said, snorting. "Never can have too much of the stuff. And besides, some of that stuff is dangerous. On an apocalyptic level. Who knows how many lives your little treasure hunts have saved by finding them and locking them up." Putting down her large mug of whiskey laced coffee, Buffy stood up and sauntered over to her partner. Stepping into Lara's path, she wrapped her arms around her waist and lifted.

"What are you doing!" Lara said, trying unsuccessfully to escape Buffy's tight grasp.

"Plan B," Buffy said, swinging her around in a swift movement that ended with the taller woman draped over Buffy's shoulder, one arm holding her in place by her thighs and the other fending off her hands as she tried to find leverage to free herself.

"Put me down!" Lara yelled.

"Nope," Buffy said, wishing she could see the blush she just knew covered Lara's face.

"Buffy!"

"Yes, dear?" Buffy said huskily, giggling at the feeling of Lara shivering at her tone.

"Put me down!" Lara demanded. "Right now!"

"Still no," Buffy said smirking. Hopefully Hilary had come through with her simple requests without any embellishment. This year she hadn't asked him for anything too fancy, unlike last year. He hadn't stopped blushing in her presence for months the last time she'd planned something romantic for Lara.

"Close your eyes," she said

"Why?" Lara asked, grumbling.

"Because I asked you to," Buffy said, carefully carrying Lara out of the main hall and down one of the Manor's many hallways.

"Where are we going?" Lara asked, having apparently given up trying to get away, her arms wrapped around Buffy's waist for stability.

"I thought we'd do something special to celebrate," Buffy said, trying not to be distracted by the erotic feel of Lara's long ponytail brushing against her lower back.

"There's nothing to celebrate," Lara protested.

"February 14th only comes once a year," Buffy said, nodding to Hilary as he held the planetarium door open, keeping Lara turned so she couldn't see him, just in case she gave into curiosity and still had her eyes open. Lara wasn't shy by any means but Buffy knew she'd be embarrassed if she thought anyone saw her being carried around like this. And for her plan to work, Lara had to be focused on just her.

"I prefer not to celebrate Saint Valentines day," Lara said grumpily.

"Not a problem, babe," Buffy told her, stepping carefully in the pitch black room. "Not a chocolate heart or rose petal in sight."

"Where are we going?" Lara asked.

"It's a surprise," she whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Lara asked, lowering her own voice in response.

"It just seems appropriate," Buffy said, still whispering. Spotting the dim candle in the middle of the room, she carefully lowered Lara to her feet several yards away. "Keep your eyes closed."

"I can walk from the main entrance to every room in the Manor with my eyes closed," Lara said. "I always know where I am in the Manor."

"Then you'll just have to pretend," Buffy said, deciding to not waste a pout at Lara's statement since she couldn't see it anyway. "What did they call it in all those etiquette books you insisted I read before you'd take me to meet the Queen? Oh yeah, 'Impeccable Breeding'," Buffy said.

"Sorry," Lara said softly, reaching out and running her hand softly over Buffy's face, stopping to caress her lips with her fingertips.

"I'm not as sophisticated as you," Buffy told her, taking her wandering hand and pulling her closer until they were touching. "Sometimes I need my illusions," she said. Reaching up she gently pulled Lara's head down until their lips met in a soft kiss.

"Have a seat," Buffy said, after reluctantly pulling back from the kiss. Guiding Lara onto a large cushion before sitting down herself , she pushed a button on the small remote Hilary had given her. Soft, romantic music started playing and bright points of light appeared on the ceiling.

"You can open your eyes now," she said.

"It's done?" Lara asked, looking up at the ceiling, a smile breaking out on her face.

"I convinced them to hire more help and work extra hours," Buffy said. "They finished restoring it yesterday."

"It's beautiful!" Lara said, slowly turning her head to see the entire ceiling.

"Is it like you remember it?" Buffy asked hopefully. The planetarium had been a gift from Lara's father to her mother before Lara was born. It'd been locked up and unused for almost three decades when Buffy had met Lara. It'd taken Buffy a year to convince Lara to have it renovated. From her smile, it was well worth it, she decided.

"And now..."

"Yes?" Lara said, not taking her eyes from the ceiling.

"I believe today is someone's birthday," Buffy said.

"You know how I feel about that," Lara said, frowning.

"We aren't celebrating a certain red themed, Cupid infested holiday," Buffy said. "This is a much more important day than that." Reaching behind her own cushion, she pulled out a small picnic basket. "Everyone deserves a romantic picnic on their birthday."

"You didn't have to do this," Lara said softly.

"When someone surprises you on your birthday, what do you say?" Buffy asked. She'd thought Lara would be used to simple romantic gestures like this by now, but apparently not. She obviously wasn't doing them enough.

"Thank you," Lara said.

"Yup!" Buffy smiled at her and started removing things from the basket.

"What's that?" Lara asked, when Buffy set aside a small squeeze bottle.

"Something for later," Buffy said, winking at her.

"Not even a hint?" Lara asked.

It's a surprise," Buffy said. "You just need to be patient."

Shaking her head, Lara watched the younger woman carefully arrange a bowl of fruit, sandwiches, several plates, and wine glasses between them.

"Can you pour?" Buffy asked, pointing at an iced bottle of wine, and holding up both wine glasses.

"This is a good year," Lara said, skeptically examining the bottle, clearly surprised.

"Don't worry," Buffy said, laughing. "I was given some useful advice."

"I'll have to thank Rupert," Lara said, taking a sip. "This is an excellent vintage.

"How'd you guess?" Buffy asked.

"Hillary would have picked something domestic," Lara said. "And you wouldn't trust anyone else."

Buffy smiled, and nodded, sipping from her own glass. "See, you're not just some old scavenger," she said. "You have hidden depths. Strawberry?" Dipping a large strawberry in chocolate, she held it up to Lara's mouth.


	2. 46 is an Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lara Croft isn't much for birthdays. That doesn't stop Buffy one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something slightly different for Lara Croft's 46th birthday (2014. In Universe.). Based on the original Lara Croft's backstory by **Core Design**. Not necessarily compliant with recent Tomb Raider backstory changes by current owners Square Enix. Or the movies for that matter. With the addition of a certain blonde slayer.
> 
> _**Additional Note:** I have this story flagged as complete because I'm not sure if there will be another installment. Maybe. Maybe not._  
>  **Edit:** 'Sanitized' - What type of pistol does Lara carry? Many different models over the years/games/movies. For this story? It doesn't matter. I prefer the iconic Desert Eagle from several early games, even if Lara wouldn't use 2 of them in real life. Other people may have other opinions, apparently.
> 
> **Word Count:** ( 1,525 )

Buffy reached down and grabbed the hand of her grinning companion, pulling her up the last few feet to the top of the cliff.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"Yes," the slim brunette said, taking deep breaths of the desert air while turning in a circle.

"Better than last year?"

"Different," Lara said. "Challenging and exciting, but in a different way."

"Good answer," Buffy told her with a wink. "Thought you’d like this."

"What’s up here?" Lara asked, examining their surroundings, a large, flat, rock strewn plateau sheltered between three mountains rising several thousand feet above the desert floor.

"A picnic?" Buffy said, slipping off her haversack.

"What else?" Lara asked, watching Buffy pull out an impossibly large blanket and basket from her small pack. "Some day you’ll have to tell me where you got that," she said.

"It’s a secret," Buffy said, grinning. After laying out the blanket on a smooth section of ground, she opened the basket and took out several items wrapped in brown paper, plates, silverware, two wine glasses and a bottle of wine. Lastly, she carefully removed several large plastic containers from the basket. "Have a seat," she said, pointing at the blanket, before opening the wine and setting it aside.

Lara gracefully sat on one corner of the blanket. Removing her climbing shoes, she crossed her legs, and leaned forward to watch her lover continue setting up the picnic.

Opening one of the brown paper packages, Buffy revealed a large sandwich, carefully placing on a plate in front of Lara. "Your favorite," she said.

"How did you manage that?" Lara asked, leaning down to examine the large sandwich. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought it was from her favorite pub in Dublin, though that had burned down some years ago.

"I might have connections," Buffy said proudly, opening the other brown paper package to reveal a large corned beef sandwich, which she placed on her own plate. "Wine?"

"Yes, please," Lara said, nodding as Buffy showed her the label. It was an excellent vintage, only a year younger than herself, from a small French winery that had been her mother’s favorite according to her diary. Picking up one of the wine glasses, she held it out for Buffy to fill, and then performed the same for Buffy.

"What gave you the idea for all this?" she asked, between bites of the delicious sandwich.

"Other than your birthday?" Buffy asked. "I’ll show you after."

"There’s more?" Lara asked.

"I think you’ll like it," Buffy said, working on her own sandwich. "These are really good," she said, licking her fingers when she’d finished hers. "Harry’s does excellent sandwiches. They get the Slayer Seal of Approval."

"My father first took me there for my birthday one year," Lara said, unable to not watch her. "How did you find it? The original pub burned down years ago."

"One of the London girls is related to Harry," Buffy said. "She set me up."

"I’ll have to thank her when we get back," Lara said.

"Definitely," Buffy said in agreement.

* * *

  
"Ready for dessert?" Buffy asked, pouring the last of the wine into Lara’s glass.

"Please," Lara said, after taking a slow sip of wine.

Buffy popped the lid on the larger container. Carefully tilting it, she removed a large slice of cheesecake and placed it on a clean plate. Opening the other container, she scooped out a handful of small strawberries and placed them around the cheesecake. She then topped it off with fresh chocolate whipped cream, and dark chocolate shavings. Handing the plate and a clean fork to Lara she proceeded to put together a similar creation for herself.

"Go ahead," she said, nodding at Lara.

"Thank you," Lara murmured before scooping up a strawberry with a forkful of cheesecake and chocolate.

Buffy smiled at her before attacking her own plate. Finishing before her companion, she watched her enjoy the strawberries and cheesecake.

"You know just how to spend the day," Lara said, putting down her plate and fork. "How do you do it?" she asked, stretching out on the blanket, her bare feet resting in Buffy’s lap.

"I was inspired," Buffy said, gently massaging one of Lara’s feet. "Every year, I just have to think about a certain someone and it comes to me. This year it said - let’s go climbing and have a picnic. And maybe something else."

"Like what?" Lara asked.

"Cleanup first," Buffy said, quickly packing away the remains of their picnic back in the basket and shoving the basket into her haversack.

"And then what?" Lara asked, curious.

"A nap?" Buffy suggested, crawling over to Lara until she was looking down at her.

"Just a nap?" Lara asked, looking up at her.

"We’ll see," Buffy said, laying down next to her, and wrapping her arms around the other woman. "If you’re good."

"I’m always good," Lara said into her ear in a low voice.

"I’ve noticed," Buffy said, giggling as she tried to avoid Lara’s fingers. "Sleepy-time. Now," she said, closing her eyes.

With a loud sigh, Lara stopped moving.

* * *

  
"Now what?" Lara asked, an hour later as she watched Buffy put the blanket and rest of the picnic things away.

"You might want this," Buffy said, handing her a familiar looking backpack she pulled from her haversack.

"Really?" Lara said, eagerly opening her backpack and pulling out her favorite work tools. Strapping on her matching pistols, and her combat knife, she smiled at the familiar weight.

"Yes, really," Buffy said, laughing. "Really, really!"

"So this isn’t just a private picnic spot," Lara said, adjusting her backpack.

"Nope," Buffy said with a popping sound. "There’s a tunnel that leads to a cave in the center of the mountain that might be a temple. According to ancient Council records anyway. No one from the Council has been in it in over five hundred years."

"Mysterious, ancient temple inside a mountain?" Lara said. "Possibly occupied?"

"Yes," Buffy said. "And maybe. There are several goblin tribes in these mountains."

"Best birthday present ever," Lara said, imitating Buffy’s bubbly Valley Girl voice, before bursting into laughter.

"Just for you," Buffy said.

* * *

  
Lara leaned against a large rock outcropping several hundred feet from the temple entrance at the base of the cliff they’d climbed to get to the plateau, watching Buffy push large rocks into the entrance to block it.

"That was a trip and a half," Buffy said, smiling, brushing off her jeans as she approached Lara. "Haven’t had that much fun in years."

Lara pointed at the two leather bags at her feet. "Interesting artifacts," she said.

"Yup. Scrolls full of ancient words for the geeks. More dangerous trinkets for your museum, and a magic sword," Buffy said. "Never saw one that burst into flames like that before."

"They can be a bit unpredictable," Lara said. "The older they are the more unstable they become."

"Seemed to work just fine for me," Buffy said, grinning and miming repelling an attack. "Though those goblins didn't seem to want to let me have it."

"Chopping the head of the goblin king off while he was yelling at us might have something to do with it," Lara said. "They weren’t too happy with us."

"He was very rude," Buffy said. "No one insults my girlfriend and gets away with it."

"We did drop in on them in the middle of something important looking," Lara said.

"They shouldn’t have put a trap door there," Buffy said. "Interrupted my jump."

"I don’t believe they built the temple. The design had a distinctly Aztec feel to it," Lara said, "though this is far from the nearest Aztec city."

"You got pictures, right?" Buffy asked.

"Of course. Already uploaded to the Manor," Lara said.

"Good," Buffy murmured. She reached over and pulled Lara’s watch close for a look. "Hilary won’t be here for a couple more hours. Want to go back in? We were distracted. Probably missed some things."

"In through the top again?" Lara asked, before picking up the bags and carrying them over to their Humvee. "They’ll be expecting us," she said, tossing the leather bags into the back.

"It’ll make it more challenging," Buffy said. "Or, we could make our own entrance. The sword can cut through rock."

"Where?" Lara asked.

"See that?" Buffy pointed at a dark shadow on the cliff face. "Air vent."

"We’ll have to rappel down from the top to get to it," Lara said, after checking it out with her binoculars.

"So we should get started," Buffy said. "Ready for Birthday Adventure, part two?"

"Absolutely," Lara said, pulling her close for a quick kiss.

"You’re good at that," Buffy said, returning the favor.

"Couldn’t do it without you," Lara said, smirking. "Shall we?" She waved at the cliff.

"Yes we shall," Buffy said, stepping back and slipping on the sword’s belt and sheath, followed by the rope and her haversack. "After you, Lady Croft."

"Thank you," Lara said, winking at her. Picking up her own backpack, she led the way to the rock wall, smiling at the sound of Buffy humming the Croft family battle song behind her.


End file.
